Senators pause to reflect on Remembrance Day

The Senators have paid tribute to veterans by wearing poppy stickers on the helmets for the past few days. Coach Guy Boucher also stopped Friday’s morning skate – in preparation for the night game against the Los Angeles Kings -- for a moment of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

The Senators have paid tribute to veterans by wearing poppy stickers on the helmets for the past few days. Coach Guy Boucher also stopped Friday’s morning skate – in preparation for the night game against the Los Angeles Kings -- for a moment of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.Errol McGihon / Postmedia

Before playing pro hockey became a realistic dream for late-blooming Ottawa Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki, he had his eyes set on following a path into the Canadian Armed Forces.

As a teenager, he even went so far as to talk with a recruitment official at Kingston’s Royal Military College.

“Ever since I was a little guy, I always wanted to be either in the military or to be a cop,” said the Ottawa native.

While his career plans changed after the Senators selected him in the 2008 NHL entry draft, Borowiecki couldn’t help but do some deep thinking about past and present soldiers on Remembrance Day on Friday.

The Senators have paid tribute to veterans by wearing poppy stickers on the helmets for the past few days. Coach Guy Boucher also stopped Friday’s morning skate — in preparation for the night game against the Los Angeles Kings — for a moment of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

“When I had my head bowed there, I was thinking I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy that nice meal with my wife (Thursday) night if it wasn’t for the sacrifice people have made for us, and continue to make now,” he said.

Borowiecki came close to choking up as he talked about where he is and what might not have been, without all the sacrifices of soldiers.

“It means a lot to me to be able to play this game for a living, our freedoms, our privileges,” he said. “It’s such an important day for everyone. It’s tough not to get emotional sometimes, especially since I’ve had a chance to interact with some veterans this year, and I’m pretty fortunate to build a few new relationships. It’s pretty remarkable what they do.”

Senators centre Chris Kelly says pausing for a break Friday was simply “the right thing to do,” while remembering the past.

“It’s not a hockey thing,” Kelly said. “I hope everyone at their workplace took that short time to reflect and think about the people that sacrificed for us. It affects everyone.”

Boucher, who has a history degree from McGill University (he once said the degree “gives you perspective on where people have been, where they are going and how they react”) says it’s important that we all understand our past.

Having coached in Switzerland for the previous three seasons, he says it’s impossible not to be reminded of the dedication of soldiers and the devastation that wars have caused.

“I had visited Germany before (going to Switzerland) and seen some camps,” said the Senators coach.

“Being over there, it’s all around you. You see the monuments, you see the ruins. There are places where you can pay your respects and remember so it doesn’t happen again. You are reminded constantly.”

Boucher says it was an invaluable education for his children: Vincent, Mila and Naomi.

“In that respect, (it was good) for our kids to be able to see that and be able to talk about it,” he said. “Younger kids are probably more removed from it than we were when we were young, so it just helped us to transmit to them the respect we owe to these people.”

Borowiecki has made his mark through his physical play, registering three goals, 14 points and 303 penalty minutes in 160 career NHL games. But he says there’s no comparison between battling for your team on the ice and battling for your country in war.

“I’ve been fortunate to not have to deal with what some of those guys and girls have to do,” he said. “It’s a lot tougher than this.”

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